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Nowadays it seems a game will only take off if it (a) employs an entirely original idea, or (b) uses an old idea but is presented in a new and interesting way. Boffin falls into the second category: what it lacks in originality it certainly makes up for in presentation. The graphics are reminiscent of Frak and the platform scenario is hardly new but I nevertheless found Boffin quite enchanting.

As you might expect, the purpose of the game is to collect all the examines of a particular object on the screen. These happen to be horseshoes in Boffin but they might as well have beeen crystals or cricket bats. Having safely gathered the horseshoes, you must make your way to the owl which sits patiently in some inaccessible corner of the screen. When you reach it you will be rewarded with bonus points galore and be permitted to proceed to the next screen.

There are actually two versions of Boffin supplied on the tape - Boffin with twenty screens and Boffin 2 with 25. Note that only Boffin 2 will work on the Electron. Each screen has obviously been carefully created to be challenging but not impossible - clearly a great deal of thought has gone into each version.

The name of the game comes from the white-coated, umbrella-carrying hero. Other characters include mantabats, giant buffer blimps and tarantulas - graphically, all of the highest standard. Unlike many platform games, not everything that moves will instantly vaporise you if you step too close. Some of the characters may even help you in your task although quite how is something you must discover for yourself!

Of course the true test of any platform game is its addictiveness. Boffin scores highly in this departent and has resulted in many late nights! So, if you are content to settle for a game which lacks a fresh concept but is presented in a way that rivals many a bestseller, then Boffin may well meet your requirements.

Jeffery Pike